Cold as Ice
by Bavo
Summary: A tale of clashing interests, war and two young women.
1. Chapter 1

So yeah I decided to upload this old story of mine. I wrote this ages ago!

I don't really know what I am doing!

English is not my native language and I am sure there is some questionable grammar in this and I'd like to apologize for it!

I am not the best at writing stories, but I wanted to so bad! Especially for my OTP!

Also I am not sure if I'll be continuing this or not.

If I do, then be prepared for some character deaths lol, I am not going to hesitate to kill off people.

M for language, violence and maybe sexual content later on.

xxxx

''Tell me again, why it isn't Darius trotting through the snow with his Trifarian Legion and making short work of .. '' Katarina wildly gestured infront of her, pointing at the knee deep snow that is covering everything. ''of these numb-skulls who thought it was a good Idea to settle down in a place where even in the summer months, you'll run the risk of getting hypothermia and frostbite!'' She stopped and hit his shoulder lightly.

Her adoptive brother could only scoff at this display. He'd never seen Katarina like this before. ''We went over this just five minutes ago'' He said plainly. ''Even Darius doesn't want to rush in blindly, so we'll be his eyes for the time being'' He added and continued up the snowy hill.

''Ugh .. I know .. but, we have people specifically trained for this sort of thing. They are called scouts!'' She exclaimed, knowing that her nagging won't help convince Talon to turn around, basically just trying to annoy him to distract her from the bone-chilling cold that even her furry coat can't stand up to. She was always trying to get a reaction out of him, since he barely ever showed any other emotion than indifference.

''Our Warmasons are formidable soldiers and scouts, but every single one of them has never been seen again after Darius sent them out here, he figures they were ambushed and killed'' He turned around to face her, the wind now pressing up against the back of his hood, making it even harder to see any sort of movement in his facial features. ''We are here to investigate their disappearances and take care of whoever is responsible''

''Darius told me before we left camp, that he usually distrusts us backstabbers but he is confident in our skills and ability to remain unseen, and that it may give us an edge over whoever is lurking around this godforsaken land'' He once again turns his back on Katarina and starts walking, cutting a path through the deep snow which she had been walking in to make it easier for her to keep up.

Katarina sighed ''I know .. I know, I am just not functioning in this weather'' She said truthfully.

Noxus was far from cold, even in the winter months they would never even so much as shiver. That was also the reason why they kept expanding in all directions. The warm, dry climate of Noxus' current holdings made it's lands hard to grow anything of worth on. You were lucky to come across a healthy tree here and there. But that didn't stop it from becoming a force to be reckoned with, quickly becoming the greatest empire all of Runeterra had ever seen.

''What are we even looking for up here?'' She began again, feeling rather annoyed. ''Nothing will grow here either! If we want wasteland then we can just go back to Noxus''

Talon just stayed quiet and continued walking. Not giving her the satisfaction of agreeing with her, even if his opinion was much of the same as hers. Not wanting to stoke the embers of her annoyance even more.

Katarina threw her hands up in resignation. ''Fine! Don't talk to me then, you know I am right though'' She almost ran into her adoptive brother when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks crouching down on one knee and making her stumble.

''Hey what the f-''

Quickly she was silenced by his hand and him facing her, now he is sporting a very annoyed look. He got his message across it seems.

She pushed him lightly and whispered: ''What is it?'' Squinting to see through the snowfall at whatever her Brother was pointing at down the path.  
_  
What is he pointing at? I can barely see anything. _She thought to herself, crawling up infront of Talon to get a better view of the slight flickering of light in the distance.

_A hut! Out here? Who just lives out here alone? _ A bit confused at the sight infront of her she turned to face her brother.

''So, you think whoever is in there is responsible for the disappearance of our scouts?''

Talon shook his head slightly, scratching his chin. ''Possibly''

He came a little closer right next to her, still looking at the hut.

''I had thought our scouts just came across some lone barbarians that were passing through, not someone who actually lives out here''

He got up and started walking towards the treeline, making it almost impossible to see him in the dark. ''Come! Follow me, we'll check to see what is up with that''

With that both of them made their way down the other side of the hill they had just climbed.  
Katarina's footsteps were heavy and every little movement hurt. Her legs were aching and longing for some well deserved rest.

Feeling like her blood would freeze if she stopped moving, she pressed on against the pain, she endured worse so she wouldn't let this get her down.

_How does he stay this cool in these conditions? _She snickered at her own bad joke.

Talon stopped once again just outside the hut, pressed against one of it's walls. It was a large log cabin that looked well maintained and sturdy. Keeping whoever was inside safe and presumably warm. The only thing that was off and kept Katarina on high alert were the three bodies just behind the hut and the dark stains of blood that were splattered all over them. Their bodies almost frozen stiff but not covered in ten inches of snow, meaning they haven't been laying there for a long time.

_What the fuck? Those are not our scouts. _She thought, kneeling next to the bodies, only to find another smaller form inbetween the three adults.

_A child? _

_This must be the family who lived here._ She grimaced when she saw the lifeless eyes and the pale blue color of the small girl.

She turned to face her Brother again, shaking the image of the girl out of her head for now._  
_

Talon gestured for her to come closer and take a peek through the window. She quickly got up and made her way towards her him, taking the slightest peek through the frosted window, seeing three rather large men, bottles in hand and trashing the place in a drunken rampage.

''Those have to be the bastards that killed our scouts'' She hissed.

Reaching behind her back to draw her large Daggers that were her weapon of choice she nodded before he also readied his weapon, taking a step back. They didn't have to think twice about murdering these fools.

_And I thought we were ruthless_ She spared another look at the frozen corpses, furrowing her brows in disgust for the murdering of this family. Gods know She was no saint either and many a grieving widow can attest to that, but killing children was too much, even for Katarina.

She walked a couple of steps backwards and shrugged her coat off her shoulders before running full-speed at the hut, jumping just before she would hit the wall.

A portal opened just infront of her, saving her from a concussion. Talon knew it wasn't long until she would appear inside the structure and wet her blades with the blood of these beasts.

He'd stand guard outside in case they had friends around, keeping a keen eye on the treeline and surrounding hills. That's when he heard it, not a second after she disappeared, loud crashing from within the hut.

Katarina had appeared behind one of the men sitting in a chair, kicking against one of it's legs as she landed her jump, that's all it took to send the inebriated man crashing to the ground, covering his head with his hands where he had hit the floor.

Katarina stomped down on the man's head with her leather clad foot. Breaking his nose in the process and using him as leverage for a jump towards the guy on the left who was picking up his axe.

As she was in mid air he managed to thrust the pointed tip of his axe toward her. And he would have impaled the Noxian if it weren't for the portal she jumped into before he managed to so. The weight of his Axe and the failure to connect the hit sent him tripping forward. His fall now also accelerated by Katarina who appeared behind him and was now crashing down onto his back, driving her large daggers into his back.

He let out an agonizing squeal as the two blades tore through him with ease, causing massive blood-loss and put a swift end to his life.

While this happened, the third man had started charging towards Katarina. Sword in hand and ready for a overhead strike, but she was ready for it, doing a back flip out of harms way just in time as the blade whizzed past her and lodging itself into the wooden floor.

She landed perfectly behind him, kicking against his legs in a sideways sweeping motion and bringing him down. She reached down to her thigh, drawing one of the many throwing knives from a belt, wasting no time trying to ram the small weapon into his throat.

To her surprise he actually managed to catch her wrist, squeezing and twisting it out of her hand.

This brute was strong, and it showed when he threw her across the room into a pile of wrecked furniture. She got up without delay, shaking off the pain and again saw this guy charging at her.

A bit too late to act he wrapped his hands around her neck and squeezed the air out of her. She clawed at his hands at first, trying to break free., before pulling out another concealed knife, stabbing him multiple times in his forearm.

He toughed through the pain and continued choking her.

As she felt her vision going blank she took a stab at his face, hitting him right in the eye.

This made him drop her immediately, cupping his right eye, blood seeping through his fingers.

Katarina just fell down on one knee, clutching her throat which was now sporting multiple red bruises, breathing heavily to make up for the lack of oxygen.

No time to rest though, she staggered towards the already downed man, retrieving one of her daggers, gripping the hilt tightly and walking towards the wailing figure infront of her.

Images of the family popped back into her mind, especially the young girl, triggering a somewhat primal bloodlust. She was trembling with anger and her gaze was full of hatred for these barbarians.

Without warning, she started hacking into him without any trace of skill or finesse, letting out all her anger on this particular brute. Not caring for deadly blows and just repeatedly striking into him long after he had already died due to her butchering.

''**Katarina!**'' She heard a yell behind her, marking the end of her anger management session, leaving the massacred man slumped over in a kneeling position, she spun around and raised her blood-soaked blade to her brothers face who was now infront of her.

''What?!'' She yelled right back, her chest heaving heavily and her heart racing, adrenaline in every fiber of her being.

Killing these men, it brought her joy and Talon seemed to be ticked off by this display of cruelty even if his hatred for these people was equal to hers.

''He is dead, don't dull your blade on his corpse'' Talon said plainly, pushing the weapon that was mere inches from his face to the side with two of his fingers, not acknowledging her bloody self.

After hearing this she paused and her shoulders sunk, a moment of silence followed before she let out an angry cry and spun around on her heel one last time, swinging her blade into the neck of the kneeling corpse, sending it's head tumbling down towards her.

''Fuck you!'' She screamed in a coarse voice, clutching her throat with her free hand. The anger within her now finally fading.

She looked around the hut, blood was everywhere and practically gushing out of this man and staining everything. The other man hunched over with his face on the ground and blood seeping out of his back.

And the last of the three, writhing in pain while covering his nose.

''Let's talk to our new friend and see what he knows'' She said, in hopes to distract herself from what she had just done.

''Hey asshole'' She said coldly, kicking him in the gut. ''Why did you kill those people in the back?'' Not even thinking of her actual mission.

Nothing but incoherent whining and gargling was heard, the man fully ignoring Katarina.

Talon was having none of this, handing his sisters coat he had brought inside to her and bent down to pull the man up to eye level, throwing him on the demolished bench. Holding a knife to his throat. 'Did you see any Noxians around here?' He growled.

The man finally registered the situation he's in and looked at the two assassins, his eyes watery and nose still bleeding profusely. 'The only Noxians I've seen are here right now' He spat while forcing out a pained laugh.

''Don't test me, bastard'' He pressed the blade against the man's throat, to the point of drawing blood. 'Tell me what you know, and why did you kill this family? They are your people, no?'

''My p-people, pfft'' He started to laugh again. 'The Winter's Claw is the only one I pledge my allegiance to!'

This stumped Talon, looking at the sigils on the men's clothing. 'But you are Avarosans!'

''They're deserters Talon'' Katarina said from behind her brother, now standing infront of the man looking quite intimidating, the deep shade of burgundy covering her clothes almost rivaled the beautiful crimson of her long mane.

Katarina was tall, more so than Talon even. Her gaze burning into the back of the terrified man's eyes."W-we didn't approve of the queen's leadership! She is too soft and weak so we-.."

''decide to kill children?" She finished his sentence. The Ice in her voice challenging that of the outside.

„D-don't give me t-that, you Noxians aren't better ! a bunch of hypocrites is what you are!' He stammered, cleary scared of the redhead.

''The Winter's Claw will tear you apart for what you did today!'' He yelled despite the blade that's being pressed against his throat.''Just like that bitch who thinks she can put aside our differences by talking nice'' He added, the disdain for his former queen was clear to be heard in his voice.

''As if your Generals would even listen to her'' He said shaking his head.

''And where did you kill our soldiers?''Talon asked. ''What did this family do to deserve a fate like this?' He added, his voice showing hints of anger but he did a good job concealing this with his stoic expression.

''My Blade hasn't had the pleasure to decapitate a Noxian yet!' He spit at his feet, struggling against the knife.''As for the family, they wouldn't let us take shelter here, wanted us to leave, so we had to get rid of them, so much for that my people nonsense''

No remorse in his words, this pissed Katarina off even more.

He noticed this and before she could answer he continued, seizing this last opportunity to mess with them. ''Aww come on, are you taking pity on these people? Don't you worry missy, I made sure to kill her slowly'' He smiled while letting out a pained laugh.

_How'd he know_? Katarina had to fight really hard not to give him the satisfaction of having hit a bullseye. Instead she just stared at him.

''Kill him'' She hissed unblinking, ordering her brother to end this man.

Which he did without hesitation. Ramming his blade into this barbarians throat and leaving him to gasp for air and eventually bleed out.

''He probably could have told us more Katarina'' Talon turned to face her.

''I've had just about enough of his whining, ... nothing of value was coming out of that sack of shit'' She said angrily as she once again kicked the now lifeless body. '

"Let us bury the family before the wildlife starts taking interest in them, they've suffered enough'' Katarina said as she turned towards the door.

Talon was a little shocked by this act of kindness from his rather bruteish Sister. A second ago she made minced meat out of a man and even raised her weapon to her own family and now she's gone completely soft.

''Whatever you say Katarina''

xxxx The next morning xxxx

Katarina was the first to wake up, not that she had gotten much sleep anyway.

The sight of that girl bothered her more than it should have, it was not the first time she saw dead children so she couldn't wrap her head around why it had such an effect on her. "Urgh ... why is this bothering me so much" She whispered to herself in frustration, running her hand through her long red hair and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Sparing a glance to her left to see Talon having fallen asleep whilst leaning against the wall.

"Gods, Talon your neck will hate you when you wake up" She said to no one in particular while crawling out from underneath her coat.

Some would think she'd come all this way with a little more preparation in mind but not really. A pair of black cotton briefs and a white buttoned up undershirt she wore underneath what was basically forced onto her by Darius. Not very Lady-like but who was going to judge her in this icy tundra?

Darius insisted she'd at least wear a thicker jacket that covered her upper body completely and a pair of insulated trousers so she wouldn't freeze to death.

They didn't provide much playing room for combat situations though as they weren't as elastic as her usual attire. But she was more than happy to have something to protect her against the cold. Not to mention how silly it would look for her to be walking around Freljord in the leathers she wore in Noxus.

She quickly made herself presentable and started another fire with the various pieces of furniture strewn about.

They could just go back right now and blame these barbarians and Darius would be satisfied with their report. But they had yet to reach the Avarosan camp and do some reconaissance since it would be Darius waltzing in there and not the two assassins.

No matter how infamous the trifarian legion were, she didn't want to be responsible for countless deaths of her comrades, even if most of them despised the Assassins.

They knew that if their commander ever asked for the Assassins, it would involve the killing of someone in the higher ranks. They liked to keep politics out of their fighting if at all possible.

Katarina just sat there infront of the fire with her coat on, basking in the radiant heat. It almost felt like home if she closed her eyes. If it weren't for the unbearable stench of blood all over her and the room. She didn't have a chance to clean herself up yet since every stream would be frozen solid at this point. Crusted blood surrounded her hands and wrists, and the sleeves of her shirt, a dark stain covering most of the fabric of her white shirt and jacket. At least she wouldn't have to worry about being seen like this, as her coat covered most of it.

She toyed with the idea to melt some snow over the fire to have water to clean up, but decided against this, preferring the warmth of her pockets over wet and cold fingers.

Talon had wanted to bury the barbarians aswell but Katarina was adamant that they deserve no such kindness and just threw them out like the barbarians did the family before.

_We really are nothing but hypocrites huh?_ Again she looked over to Talon who was still sleeping and she sighed.

_Well ... at least I am. _She quickly banished that thought, agreeing with the man had just made her even more angry.

She closed her eyes again, enjoying the warmth the fire emitted before her head shot up at the sound of horses and an indistinguishable amount of men and women chatting, aswell as the clanking of metal.

''Talon! Get up, we need to go'' She shook him a couple of times before peeking out the window just like they did last night.

He blinked a few times before getting up, rubbing the back of his neck. ''How many?'' He asked with his eyes still struggling to stay open.

''Not sure, around twenty, too many to take on, let's just try to pose as locals and get them to leave us alone'' Katarina hastily put up her hood and hid her hair inside her coat, making sure to keep the hood over her eyes so the large scar wouldn't be seen. Surely they would recognize such a prominent face, she was nobility after all.

''You just stay quiet, I'll think of something... we .. we are brother and sister on our way to Capital and took shelter here, we need to move quick if they let us pass, should they sweep the building, surely they'll find the bodies and start asking questions''

Talon explained their little plan hastily, before he too put up his hood. They wouldn't recognize his face at least. Talon was the greatest assassin in Noxus, but he did not like the limelight and he lacked outstanding features that define Katarina, such as her red hair or the gash on her left eye.

''Come now and don't speak'' He grabbed Katarina by the arm and pulled her outside, stepping into the pale morning sunlight.

No blizzard to be found, but there was some dense fog and it was still freezing cold.

When they stepped out into view of the Freljordian Warband they froze.

Suddenly they both thought this plan of theirs wasn't as good as they initially hoped. About twenty large men and women clad in various bits of armor and thick furs, battleaxes and two-handed swords at the ready.

They looked as vicious as the trifarian legion themselves, and they most likely were.

_I guess Darius can prepare himself for a hard fight if he stumbles upon these guys._

She thought, only now noticing that she had been staring a little too long and lowering her head again.

''Halt!'' A very big man stepped forward, even towering over the others, carrying a shield that was almost as massive as he himself.

He must also be insane to be walking around shirtless, revealing his very muscular body.

''What are you two doing here? Are you lost?'' The man had a strange accent. But there was no malice in his words.

''Why yes'' Talon coughed ''We are indeed lost, my sister here and I were on our way to the Capital when this Blizzard took us off the right pa- ... ''

He was abruptly cut off by the half naked man:

''You don't look Freljordian''

He took a couple steps towards them ''Freljordian's are beautiful people and you well, let me take closer look''

Talon was ready to strike but Katarina just tugged at his empty sleeve, urging him to keep calm.

''No offense young Lady'' He raised his hands in defense. ''We have lots of Noxian soldiers roaming around and Braum has to be wary of foreigners'' He spoke as he raised his hand to lift Katarinas hood.

''Stop it Braum, hands off the girl'' Came a female's voice from within the ranks of brutes.

There they both laid eyes on a, compared to the soldiers, tiny looking young woman, leading a horse by the reigns. She wore a mainly black, gold lined cowl along with a rather revealing outfit, a skirt that surely is illegal in some parts of the world along with a simple top, exposing generous amounts of her large bust.

Katarina stood there dumbfounded, mouth hanging open, envious of how this woman shrugs off the cold while she herself is freezing her ass off.

''How are you not cold?!'' She blurted out.

This earned her a nudge from Talon and the man before her pulled his hand back, taking a step aside to make space for the woman.

''Braum is very sorry Queen Ashe, I just like pretty faces'' He shrugged, letting out a hearty laugh.

''Come on now Braum, stop scaring our guests'' She left the reigns to one of her Soldiers who happily agreed to holding on to them as she made her way towards the three of them.

_This is the Queen of the Freljord? She has a regal vibe to her but I'd have never imagined seeing royalty dress, or talk to commoners like this._

Katarina took her time looking at the petite woman before her, taking it all in.

She was a beautiful woman, her skin almost as pale as the snow around them, her hair a wonderful white, even underneath the shadow of her cowl.

''Damn'' Katarina whispered, looking at the legs that seemed to go on for miles despite the woman's short stature and the criminally short skirt of the Freljordian royalty.

Letting her gaze wander up and rest on the face of the figure infront of her.

_She seems to be really young aswell._

_'_'My name is Ashe, I do hope you can forgive Braum for his odd behaviour, we had to deal with a lot of Noxians this month, it seems that all out War is unfortunately, unavoidable'' She made the saddest face imagineable while saying this but only for a moment, her face soon took on a more confident facade as to not discourage her entourage.

''We are actually on our way to their camp to discuss a truce of sorts so we can at least warn the people who live out here'' She smiled weakly.

"The Hand of Noxus himself is supposed to be there and who better to ask if not one of the Trifarix?" Her words seemed so innocent and full of hope for a non-violent solution.

''There there Queen Ashe, disclosing our plans without care in the world" Braum said from the sidelines, laughing loudly.

''But is best if you two get going, ... Noxians are not known for their kindness in times of war''

Ashe now sporting a slight blush for her loose mouth, pinching the bridge of her nose with a sad smile before turning her attention back to the two.

''My bad, just forget I said anything''

It was kind of heartbreaking to see. She lifted her head up to better look into those icy blue eyes of hers, literal Sapphires gazing into her Emeralds. As if she was caught in a trance, she raised her hand, lightly grazing the Queens cheek with the back of her hand, she was cold to the touch, but her hand felt like it was on fire.

There was something familiar in those eyes.

She was impressed with how gentle of a touch she was capable of and this earned her a couple of odd looks.

While Katarina felt nothing but awe at this sight of perfectly smooth white skin, rosy lips and beautiful eyes, Ashe's face turned from this well-meaning smile to an expression of horror, if there was a moment in which she could get any more pale then this was that moment.

''I - I ... '' She stammered and stumbled backwards.

She knew this face infront of her, those deep Green eyes that were beautiful to look at but lacked a certain something that made her blood run cold.

She knew this well shaped face, the sharp chin, nose and brows.

The blood red hair tucked behind her ear, desperately trying to break free.

The deep scar running down her left eye and cheek.

The frost Archer took a step back, knowing her next move might very well be her last. She was staring into the eyes of the Sinister blade herself.

The grunts in the back noticed this and raised their weapons and came closer to guard their queen. They could practically feel her fear.

''We'll be on our way now'' Talon cut in, trying one last time to get out of there, knowing that Ashe recognized Katarina. Already pulling his sister backwards who was still in awe.

''Your eyes remind me of the girl'' she whispered almost inaudibly.

Talon's heart skipped a beat when he, in his retreat, bumped into something solid, not recalling anything that would be in their way.

To his horror he turned and saw this mountain of a man standing behind them.

''More Noxians!'' He laughed as he wrapped his arms around the both of them, effectively trapping them, bear hug style.

''It's the Du Couteau child'' Braum said, looking down at his captives ''Braum recognizes this Redhead from posters''

Katarina has now finally snapped out of her trance when the air was forced out of her lungs by this unwanted hug. She struggled to break free or reach for a knife but to no avail, her arms were trapped.

''Let me go!'' She yelled ''I don't know what you are talking about!''

''No no, Braum knows who you are. Was right to be suspicious'' He glanced over at his men and urged them to come closer with a nod. ''Tie them up and no leaving them alone you hear?''

His order was met with swift action and the soldiers got to tightly wrapping their wrists, and their legs.

Meanwhile Braum left to look after Ashe, finding her leaning against the back of the hut, completely out of breath. A look of horror on her face. ''Do not worry my Queen, Braum has the-...''

He was cut short by the sight of three corpses of what looked like their men , brutally murdered.

''Braum is sorry you had to see this'' He put a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

''No more Mister nice Braum'' His voice now significantly deeper, almost reduced to a growl and void of his former cheery attitude.

''I am sorry Talon, I don't know what came over me'' She lied, knowing perfectly well she was enthralled by the young woman.

''I didn't know you were into girls Kat'' He chuckled at his Sister's lie.

''But don't think I am not angry, you are lucky that you grew on me so quickly or else I'd have left you standing there and made off without you'' He joked.

Now it was his turn to lie. Talon was beyond grateful for having had the chance to become part of her family, and he 'loved' both Katarina and Cassiopeia unconditionally. So there was no chance he would leave her behind.

''Don't make fun of me, and don't act like you didn't like the view either!' She struggled against her restraints.''

''And don't you dare tell Cass about this, she'll never let this go'' She pleaded with him.

''Don't worry, for now we should find a way out of here'' He answered and looked around for his weapons.

''I still have a couple of knifes on me Talon'' She whispered, pointing down her body with her eye ''Can you reach ins- ''

''I am not putting my hand down your pants'' He cut her off.

''They are just below the waistband Tal-...''

''Shut the fuck up!'' Came a loud voice along with a hard kick against her head, one of the men guarding them had enough of their schemeing.

Katarina was almost knocked out, her lips busted and nose bleeding badly. That kick had hit her almost directly in her face and only narrowly missing her eye.

When she though that was all of the abuse she felt a hand grip her by the hair, pulling her up where she saw Braum glaring at her.

''We'll start with Redhead'' Came from him,forcefuly thowing her back into the snow, only for two others to pick her up by her arms and drag her towards a treestump.

''Wait! Where are you taking her?'' Talon yelled at them. Receiving only a sickening smile from one of the men.

The two Brutes dragged her away and pushed her head down on the stump. One of them keeping his foot against her back to keep her in place.

Braum made his way back to the stump, picking up a big Axe on his way.

Katarina was still somewhat dazed, her warm blood seeping into the wood beneath her. It took her a few second before finally coming to her senses, looking up to see Braum with this enormous axe standing next to her.

Her eyes growing wide as he lifted the Axe up above his head.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey again. So I am really happy about the positive response I got for the last chapter, and I hope all of you enjoy this second part aswell!

I am really sorry for any mistakes or questionable grammar or literally anything that might not make any sense to you x)

I just love these two and I have to keep writing :) Sorry if I take too long sometimes.

And yeah just to make it clear, I have no idea what I am doing x)

02.12.2020 / did some editing on the first two chapters, nothing big but maybe worth a read.

xxxx

Time seems to have slowed down to crawl.

There she kneeled, face pressed against a frozen treestump, her head still ringing due to being kicked in the head earlier that added a couple of bruises to her scarred face.

And there was this Mountain of a man,gaze cast downward glaring at her with his weapon raised.

Though he was suspicious of the two, the smile he wore before never left his face, even when they found out about their true identity, he smiled at the two Assassins.

Well that smile was now gone, replaced by a death stare, mouth slightly parted, flashing his teeth like a rabid Drakehound. No trace of his former cheery attitude, no laughs or even a heartwarming grin.

Just hatred for the Noxian before him.

And why? There were many reasons to hate her and her people, but she didn't know what caused this sudden burst of anger. Had they found the corpses? Surely they'd know that those men betrayed them and were killing their people! The very people the queen and all of their tribesmen pledged and ultimately failed to protect. Did they think so lightly of deserters? In Noxus, they would have made a bloody example of these runaways in the fleshing arena. They should be thanking them for taking care of these murderers. But no, she was staring into death's eyes in form of a big Battleaxe.

How many Noxians will fall to this monstrosity because she failed, again?

All because of her botched mission.

Because she couldn't hold back her urges.

Because she didn't listen to Talon. He was joking earlier, she knew that. But the thought wouldn't leave her mind that he'd have done better leaving her right then and there. He still had their father's favor and shouldn't let her ruin it for him.

But also because she was letting herself get distracted by the queen of the Freljord herself. She could have murdered her, ended her movement and possibly made things easier for the armies of Noxus. Instead she just stood there, awestruck and ogling the Queen's legs.

She could hear Talon in the back, screaming at them, demanding to let her go. Bless him, he really did care about her.

Knowing this was more than she had wanted ever since disappointing her father. Knowing that someone truly cared for her, at times she isn't even sure if her own sister cared, if she returned home or not. Let alone her mother. But Cassiopeia is different, she's got a brilliant mind, always plotting something. It was hard to read her, those snake-like eyes of hers told many stories, she often wondered if she would be able to see through her lies when the time came to shut her up. She was probably just as damaged as the redhead herself. Their father knew that Cassiopeia wasn't made to be a Blademaster like himself so he rarely paid attention to her and left their Mother to mould her into someone useful. Not just a daughter to be married off to some other Noble's Son. She was to be, much like their mother, politically inclined and someone who pulls the strings while also acting as a sort of 'face' to their name. For now she was still a tool like Katarina and Talon, at least until the day even Marcus would meet his end.

It is a difficult thing for Noxians to show these feelings toward eachother, especially if your own father hammered it into your skull from a young age, that if your emotions get the better of you they will be the end of you. Never a 'well done' or 'good job' from him, only a disapproving glance, to her, an incentive to do even better next time and avoid disappointing him once again.

"What are you talking about!?" She snapped out of it. Talon was not holding back, hearing the strain in his voice as he screamed at the Freljordian Soldiers.

"These men, they killed the family that lived here and left them outside for the Wolves! And just because they wouldn't let strangers enter their home!" He was defending their actions. But the evidence isn't exactly in their favor, to an outsider it really looked like they killed these people in cold blood.

"Look at her hands!" He didn't stop despite the guards trying to shut him up. Enduring their abuse. "We dug those graves for the family! She wouldn't rest until she knew them safe!"

He was right, she was digging with all she had. Using her daggers to dig up the frozen soil.  
Her palms were dirty, not only stained by blood, but also dirt from shoveling the loose soil away. It was a tough act that lasted well into the night. It gave her some sort of closure and peace of mind, knowing that the girl's body would be left without further injury. It just oddly

felt right to her.

"We gave them what they deserved!" He struggled against his bindings and the men trying to hold onto him.

"Let a Noxian tell you that what happened here tonight was justice! For your tribe, for the family, for any god damned man or woman with a conscience!"

His speech was impressive, Katarina smiled through the pounding headache. Entertained by her brothers words. That a Noxian was blabbering on about justice was just too funny to her, but she thanked her Brother for trying to stop them.

All the while Braum just stood there listening to Talon's pleas, Axe still looming over his head.

He didn't seem convinced, and nobody would be upset if he actually decapitated the Assassins. It would even ease some minds back in Noxus. Despite her skills and the fact that she was nobility, many people in the higher ranks actually despised the Redhead, fearing that one day, they too will fall to her blades.

"We can help you discuss a truce between our Nations!" He added lastly, aware that his previous arguments did little to convince the giant.

"We know Darius personally and he's more likely to agree to your terms if we come along!" He wasn't exactly sure of his own words. But he showed nothing but confidence infront of them.

Knowing Darius, he is more likely to execute the pair of assassins himself for showing such weakness, infront of the queen no less.

"I believe him" Out of nowhere they heard the voice of the female royal call out.

The axe came crashing down next to her head, cutting into the wood, splitting it and some loose strands of her hair.

"Hmm?" Braum turned to face her, his expression still far from his previously happy self.

She shut her eyes closed, her heart nearly stopping then and there. But she was relieved the moment she opened her eyes and saw her own blurry reflection in the Axe's blue steel,void of any blood and her head still attached.

_Fucking hell I almost pissed myself _

Her shoulders sank again, and she let out a big sigh. Thanking Ashe a million times in her mind.

Talon did much of the same. Actually managing to break a sweat in this frozen wasteland.

"I believe the Noxian is telling the truth Braum. I've seen and talked to all of these soldiers we captured recently, and they were different from these two" She explained, walking towards the stump on which Katarina was still resting her head, kneeling down infront of her. Katarina was now looking up at the white haired Archer

"You have a terrible reputation Sinister Blade" She picked up some strands of her red hair, letting them glide through her fingers. ''And it'd be a blessing to us all if you died here today'' She explained to Katarina with a yet unreadable expression on her face, letting out a sigh.

"But your Partner convinced me, that even someone as infamous and brutal as you, can feel for others and I truly believe you were trying to do something good for once in your life" She lifted her head, looking over to Talon and urging the guards to leave him be, before once again turning her gaze towards the Redhead ''You just have a strange way of going about it'' She cupped the Assassins cheek and wiped away some of the blood with her thumb.

"I wonder how many of your victims looked up at you with that same look you are giving me right now" Now placing her other hand on Katarina's cheek, studying her face. "And if you showed them any kind of mercy" She let go of Katarina, not even wanting an answer, afraid of what she might hear from the Noxian woman. The horrid tales she could possibly tell were almost enough to make the Archer doubt her decision.

Ashe's face was a mixture of sympathy and disappointment. Her eyes bloodshot and cheeks sporting a slight blush underneath the sheen of wetness from her tears.

_She's been crying?_

''I can't believe I am actually saying this but" She stopped to take a deep breath "We need your help" She admitted "Don't let this be a mistake"

Katarina just stared at her, unable to speak after all she has been through. The cold now also soaking through her clothes. It has gone unnoticed during her almost execution but now she could barely feel her legs and she wasn't sure if it was the bindings around her wrists which were extremely tight, cutting off most circulation or if it's the cold that has numbed her hands. Probably both.

"Help her up now" She ordered. Ashe's men pulling Katarina up to her feet, cutting through the rope that was restricting her legs and leaving her wrists tied.

Quite shakily she tried to stand on her own, but she sank to her knees again.+

Turning to see Talon already up on his feet, flashign the briefest of smiles at her. Noxian or not, they were still people and they have feelings like any other, even if the populace of many countries say otherwise, they just go about it in their own way. She gave herself another push and got up with some rough assistance from the guards, standing a little hunched over infront of Ashe.

"If Queen Ashe says you are okay people then Braum thinks so too!" His demeanor changed completely now, back to his cheery self. Nothing left of the man who wanted to kill them earlier. ''But if you try something funny while you are with me, I won't spare you a second time!'' He added with a smile.

Katarina looked down at the shorter woman with much of the same look as before. Just less obvious. On the one hand she was thankful for the trust she put in her but on the other she somewhat understood what the man yesterday meant.

She was young, barely entered adulthood and already thrust into a position of power. Never had to face the cruelty of war unlike Katarina, who had already killed people as a child and continued to do so until this day. It barely even meant anything to her anymore, taking another being's life was just part of her very self, it ran in the family so to speak.

Katarina could sense that this young queen before her was uncomfortable in her position. And she was indeed too trustworthy. Not that she'd complain, it's better this way because if she wasn't, then she and her brother may aswell be dead right now.

But this whole thing about trying to save her people from Darius and a way to solve this conflict without violence is too utopian of an idea. Unless they willingly become part of Noxus, nobody is safe. She is merely postponing the inevitable, man will always fight one another, you just have to strike first. You do not wait until the snake has already struck to kill it.

Noxians know this. They grow up on the very concept of man eats man. You fight for your right to prosper, only those who can prove their strength will find peace within the borders of this Warring Empire.

"May I ask aquestion?" Talon said from behind his sister.

Ashe just nodded, urging him to explain himself.

"You said you captured a lot of Noxians this month, are they still alive? It was our mission to find out where they had went and to bring them back if possible" He told them the truth, seeing no harm in them knowing. If they are indeed still alive then they will have told the Freljordian's all about their plans anyway.

"Yes they are still alive, they have not commited any crimes by just doing their job so we merely took them as Prisoners of war" Ashe explained, looking up at Braum, almost as if she's seeking some sort of approval or a 'go ahead' from the bigger man. Like a daughter asking her father. ''Unlike other Tribes, we are trying to move on from our Barbaric past"

"Miss Ashe dislikes executions, she insisted we keep them alive" He added. "So do I, but sometimes you gotta do the dirty work, no?" He laughed again, giving the redhead a light shove that almost made her stumble.

Katarina didn't know what was so funny about executions, especially after her's was just interrupted. Giving Braum a venomous stare that would even turn Cassiopeia into stone.

But she was glad her comrades were alive and hopefully well. And it gave her a good Idea to get out of this.

"You could offer the return of our men and women in exchange for that truce you spoke of" She said, cheering internally at her what she though, grandiose Idea. Maybe some of her sister's brilliance has transferred over to her after all.

And she seems to have hit a bullseye aswell as Ashe was looking at her with slightly parted lips.

"I haven't thought about that yet, but that is a good Idea, he has to accept if he wants his soldiers back" Ashe answered, voice slightly raised in excitement.

"What about us?" Talon cut in.

"Are we free to go when we reach camp?"

Ashe seemed to struggle with this question for a moment before answering.

"You have my word, that is if your Commander agrees, if not then you too will be taken as prisoners of war, I am sure you understand that letting you go would be a stupid move"

Ashe was right, if her plans fail and she let them go regardless, she may well be the next target of assassination. And then it would be by Katarina's rules. Preferably with no Braum nearby to guard her.

Sure, Katarina had failed her mission now, but failure was no stranger to Katarina, her father made sure she knew this. Ever since then she swore to herself and her name that no matter how many setbacks she'd have to endure, she'll never again return home without knowing that it was her blade, that ended her target.

It wasn't her father's approval that she sought out, no. She couldn't care less about what her father thinks about her anymore, it was impossible to please this man, even if she somehow managed to bring him Jarvan's head he would not be impressed. Since her failure back then he was never the same again. If it wasn't for Talon and his still intact relationship with her father she would have already killed him or tried at least. Being the head of her own house did sound inviting but as long as Talon was close to him, She'd spare him.  
There's no reason for her to antagonize her adoptive Brother, she'd rather have him on her side.

''That is understandable, yes'' Talon told the queen.

Again Katarina was impressed by his ability to stay this calm. He did have a moment of despair there yes, but now he's gone back to his stoic self that she knew so well. It was a good indicator that they were not in too much trouble, as long as he stayed calm she knew they'd be safe. Hell, he's probably got a plan to get out of this without reaching camp as prisoners, and by the gods Katarina hoped he did. Darius' wrath was the last thing she wanted to endure.

''Okay then, Braum, how should we proceed?" She asked the giant next to her.

''I think is best if we set up camp for now, we'll have to send back some men to get the prisoners, and that will take a while'' He said. ''Redhead and hooded man here should be enough for our truce, but the other prisoners should provide us with more playing room for negotiations'' He added, making a good point. That is, if it weren't Darius they wanted to convince.

''I think I might have a better Idea'' Ashe told him, turning to her small Warband ''Fridtjof! Come here for a minute'' She called out, and with it came a shorter looking but no less intimidating man from within the Freljordian soldiers.

''My Queen?'' He just said with his grainy voice, awaiting further orders.

''Take my Horse'' She said before reaching into one of her pouches. ''Take my seal, and bring back with you the prisoners, aswell as a few more men, if things do get nasty at their camp I want to at least have a fighting chance"

''I'll be quick, don't worry'' He said hastily, mounting the queen's steed.

''Just be careful please'' She answered, worry in her voice despite his words.

He made off without another word.

''You must be tired after walking all this way, and Fridtjof is faster like this, we'll just wait for him to return and then we can continue forward" Ashe explained to the rest of her soldiers who have already started unpacking and clearing the ground of the deep snow infront of the cabin.

She took a glance at Katarina ''We may also bury the remaining bodies" before she left the group to to help unpacking.

xxxx

The look she had recieved from Ashe stayed in her mind for a long time, was it disgust for the way she handled these men? Whatever, Katarina couldn't bother thinking about such things any further, she's been through a lot and needed to rest since she hadn't slept last night. But despite her best efforts, Katarina would always be reminded of it. Seeing her glare at Katarina like this made her stomach turn, it almost seemed like that girl she buried earlier was staring at her with such disgust. She hoped she could soon forget this and have some badly needed sleep.

But Ashe's men were not exactly happy to still have the two around, not hesitating to call them names or 'accidentally' shovel snow into their direction.  
Whenever Katarina tried to close her eyes and get some rest it would be Talon nudging her or one of the soldiers waking her up. Telling her that if she fell asleep right now she might not wake up. Katarina thought about it and didn't think it be a bad alternative to sitting in the snow, beaten and tired. Unlike Talon, who managed to get some sleep, she went the whole rest of the night without once drifting off for more than mere minutes. And the adrenaline from her near execution wore off a long time ago, she felt her body growing weaker by the minute.

Talon noticed how pale Katarina looked, her skin now sporting a blueish tint and not just because of her bruised face, bags under her eyes that seemed to weigh heavy on those lids of hers.

''Talk to me Katarina'' Talon nudged his sister and recieved little to no reaction.

''Hey you!' he called out to one of the Soldiers passing by. Much like his sister, he paid little attention to the assassin. Pretending to not hear him.

''Fuck'' he cursed.

He looked around the newly established camp, keeping an eye out for the white haired archer, but she was nowhere to be seen, neither was Braum. If anyone would help them it would be the queen or her bodyguard.  
The men around camp showed no compassion towards the freezing pair of assassins.  
They are seen in and outside of the hut, having made a bigger fire infront of said structure, presumably for the ones standing guard while the others warm up inside. They were just a little too far off the fire to get any real warmth themselves.

''Hang in there Kat, they won't let you freeze to death'' He tried to console his sister, but again, no reply. Just her, blinking and eyes struggling to stay open.

Meanwhile Braum and Ashe had managed to track down and kill two deer. Ashe was more than just an excellent archer, she may well be the best in all of Runeterra. Not only did she put a swift end to those two animals, painless and with deadly accuracy no, she also hit them while they were fleeing at high speeds. Braum wasn't exactly the most sneaky person in all of Freljord, having scared the animals before she could take the shot.

''Braum tell me, am I doing the right thing?" She said, looking at anything but Braum while they were walking back to camp.

''What do you mean?'' He just replied, adjusting his hold on the animal. "The men will love these, good meat for stew, young and tender" He laughed.

"Not the animals Braum" She rolled her eyes at his obvious attempt to dodge the question.

Twiddling her thumbs she looked down ''I feel for these people, the enemy!" She raised her voice. ''That very enemy who has been nothing but merciless towards us'' She sighed ''The enemy that could just be lying, but I still chose to believe them''

''It it simple Ashe'' Braum said with a smile. ''We are different from them, and you do not want us to become like them, it is good thing. It's the reason we fight your sister is it not?'' He added. After a long pause of silence he began again ''Let us make haste, Braum is sure the men are hungry'' He tried changing the subject once again, succeeding this time.

When they did arrive back at camp, they were greeted by the sight of a well established camp site, the fire looked inviting and the men were huddled down around it, having had one or two drinks already. From what little they brought with them on this journey, Alcohol was of no shortage around here, it kept you warm from the inside and numbed the pain from the cold slowly seeping through your shoes. Freljordian's were heavy drinkers by trade, no one could ever come close to beating them in this field.

Braum immediately went off into the cheering crowd of men, already celebrating the good meal they'll be having because of the two.

Meanwhile Ashe went to look after the two Noxians, seeing them leaning against the trunk of a fallen pine, far from the fire. Katarina was leaning against Talon, her head slumped forward while he himself called out to the queen, trying to make himself known by any means. She raised an eyebrow at this, not really sure what to think of the whole ordeal.

_What relationship do these two have anyway? _She thought, walking over to the pleading man at a faster pace.

''Are you two alright?'' She asked, kneeling down to try to look at Katarina's face.

''I am just fine, but please let my sister come inside by the fire or else she'll die out here, I understand that we are heartless Noxian's coming to take your land but please" He pleaded with the Archer. ''You may stand up to these conditions but Katarina doesn't"

They're Siblings? Braum only mentioned a sister, not a brother.

Much like Katarina did earlier, Ashe let the back of her hand slowly caress the Redhead's cheek, she recoiled when she felt the cold skin of the Noxian, placing her hands on her shoulders and making her sit upright. Katarina showed no sign of consciousness, her head just bobbing back and forth a little.

''I am sorry I should ha-'' She was cut off by Talon, glaring at her. ''Just get her inside already, no need for false apologies'' He spat in her direction.

Despite it not being the worst she's ever heard, it did hurt her to hear such words. She really wasn't trying to get them killed out here. She cursed herself for not making sure they would be safe. Of course her men aren't as compassionate as she was, and they sure as shit wouldn't show any hospitality towards the Noxians. She knew this, but didn't do anything about it. She questioned herself if she did it on purpose or if she just didn't think of it. She was indeed disgusted by Katarina's actions, and seeing her former soldiers mutilated and just tossed out like trash made her angry. Angry at herself. Her actions and the reforms she's been introducing to her tribe turned many conservatives away, these men might have been among those people and then it would be her fault that they and the family who lived here were killed. Braum would call it the price of progress, but that does not ease her mind in the slightest. Fact is, She wanted the Sinister Blade to be punished, but killing her was not at all her goal.

She quickly got up and went to get some help from Braum, stopping him in the middle of skinning the animals, the other men were already preparing some vegetables for the stew and cried out in protest as they saw Braum lift up the Noxian girl with ease and bring her inside. Complaining about how their meal has to wait because of some prisoner. Their complains fell on deaf ears and were muted instantly when Ashe shot them an angry look.

Ashe offered to let Talon in aswell, to which he agreed of course, even if it was just to look after Katarina. Following right behind Ashe into the cabin.

There Braum set her down near the fire on some thick furs, cutting the rope that had her wrists tied so she could comfortably lie down on her back.

"Miss Ashe, is best if you take off her wet clothes and shoes, see if toes are still attached" He laughed, standing back up to leave the hut.  
"I'll hurry with the food so she can eat when she wakes up" With that he left, giving the Noxians and Ashe some privacy.

The few men inside followed after, having heard Braum's words and not wanting to peek while Ashe was still present.

Ashe kneeled down next to her and got to undressing Katarina, starting with her boots, she made sure she was as gentle as possible, not wanting to cause any unnecessary injuries to her sensitive skin. She set the boots down next to the fire, inspecting her feet. To her surprise she seems to be fine, no signs of frostbite. Relieved, she wandered further upwards, unbuttoning her pants.

She felt a tad uncomfortable now and turned to face Talon. "Soo ..." She began " You are her brother?" She tried her hand at smalltalk.

"We are not related by blood, her father took me in" He answered, not bothering to look at her.

"Is that so" She said, not really questioning his words. She just didn't know what else to say to him. Smalltalk with the enemy wasn't on her schedule, and she worried that he was still angry at her. Or maybe she just feared the assassin sitting right next to her.

"Don't you want to continue?" Talon asked, pointing at Katarina with a nod.

"Do you mind giving us a bit of privacy? I don't know how Noxian's deal with this sort of thing but I am sure she wouldn't want you to see her like this" She explained hastily, a slight blush on her cheeks.

Talon didn't even register what she meant at first, He hasn't once though of his sister as anything more than that, so it was foreign to him that the young queen asked for privacy. But as time went on and he saw the somewhat desperate look in her eyes it soon became obvious as to why she hesitated and he got up without a word, struggling to open the door with his wrists still tied but managing just fine in the end. "Tell me when you are done" He called out to her from within the doorframe before taking his leave.

With the hut now all to themselves, Ashe continued undressing the Redhead, sliding her pants off her long, smooth but scarred, muscular legs. She stopped again, staring at what she had just uncovered.  
She was still blushing, as if she had never laid eyes on another person, brushing her hand against the assassins thighs. To her dismay. her touch was met by a terrible cold. Her pants hadn't protected her from the cold at all while she was face down on that stump and sitting next to the hut. There's only so much you could do, the icy cold of the Freljord will pierce even the thickest of clothing.

Ashe set the pants aside for the time being, not wanting her to lay here half naked for too long she continued, briefly checking to see if her undergarments were dry. And luckily they were, at least she wouldn't have to undress the girl completely, even if her curiosity wanted to tell her otherwise.

She struggled with her jacket at first, not really wanting to shake the Noxian too much. She slid it off Katarina's shoulders, exposing a much slimmer build than the thick jacket suggested.  
It may seem strange, but Ashe sometimes forgot she was still dealing with a young woman here. Thinking that someone as ruthless as her could be nothing less than a monster. But now that she's laying here, sleeping and completely defenseless, Ashe couldn't help but stare. She almost seemed like a normal person and not a killer.

"What did you think when I stepped up to you?" She asked her, pausing for a brief moment before she began again. "Did you want to kill me too?" She waited for an answer that never came.

She brushed aside her beautiful red hair and frowned at the red streaks on her neck, not really noticing them before when she was about to be executed.

"I hope none of my men did this to you" She whispered. Still feeling guilty for just leaving them alone with her soldiers.

It was a horrible cycle of guilt and anger she went through, kicking herself mentally for disregarding her prisoner's safety and wellbeing and maybe even purposefully leaving them as punishment. And anger because she felt sympathy towards these monsters. She looked around, just in case someone was watching and a shiver went up her spine when she gazed upon Katarina's blades across the room which had been brought inside earlier.

"Why do you deserve any mercy while you yourself have none?" She said " But ...ugh " She struggled as she raised her hand to Katarina's face.

Now also tracing her lip, a bit of crusted blood still clinging to it. She knew it would be a long and hard road till her tribe solved less of their problems like this. The bruised face of the assassin was evidence enough of her Tribemen's brutality.

"I picked the worst time for all if this" She sighed and continued unbuttoning her jacket.

The stained undershirt served as a grim reminder of who this person laying infront of her really was.

She wasn't sure who this blood belonged to, but it surely wasn't Katarina's. Not all of it.

It made unbuttoning the shirt more difficult, the sight of the blood was repulsive. The fact that this could well be the blood of the innocent made Ashe want to throw up. Questioning her decision of letting the Assassins live and not have Braum execute them.

Then she remembered what Katarina's brother had said.

She gently picked up Katarina's hand, inspecting it carefully. And indeed she found traces of dirt and blood all over those slender digits and underneath her nails.

"Maybe your brother did tell the truth after all" She told the sleeping assassin.

With a blush creeping it's way up her face she quickly got rid of both the jacket and undershirt without peeking too much at Katarina's rather large chest. Ashe herself wasn't any worse off in this matter but she couldn't help but feel a little jealous. What caught her eye even more than Katarina's ample bust was the large tattoo on her left side. Ashe placed her hand atop the colored skin and let it glide up and down the inked lines. Not realizing her other hand had joined in, now on either side of her midriff. By now, Katarina's body was feeling rather warm again. Maybe it was just Ashe's constant rubbing of her abs that heated her up due to friction. Like she's in a trance she just continued feeling that smooth skin underneath her palms, frowning ever so slightly whenever she could feel a scar. And Katarina was riddled with them.

She eventually stopped as she caught onto her own indecent behaviour, though having thoroughly enjoyed the time she spent exploring. She wanted to see and feel more but she told herself not to forget who she is dealing with. It would not look good for her if she was found doing this sort of thing to a unconscious person. A noxian at that! But she was curious, so very curious.

Ashe was a mere twenty years old and she never really had the chance or desire even to experience things like this for herself until now. Unlike the other girls in her village back then, she was spending more time around men like Braum, wanting to go out hunting together or practise with her bow. She'd learned from a young age, during fights with her sister, that she must learn how to fend for herself. Braum always told her that she would grow up to be someone to change their lives forever.

He told Sejuani the same thing.

Only time could tell how all of this would turn out. And Ashe prayed that it was her who would succeed and finally unite the tribes to end the mindless violence against brothers and sisters.

Maybe even convince Sejuani that her's was the right way and that violence won't solve everything.

"You'd probably get along just fine with my sister" She laughed, seeing the similarities between the two. Their approach to things was almost the same.

"Maybe you'll run into her someday" Ashe continued, a weak smile on her lips.

"And maybe you kill eachother, so I don't have to"


	3. Chapter 3

A lot of stuff has happened, I am not one for bad excuses so I won't even try to justify the time it took to get this out. But I want to say why.

After a standard windows update, my computer was bricked. I drifted away from League and this story since everything was gone, and on top of that I finally watched the video of Ashe's new voicelines... and now she sounds like she actually cares for Tryndamere ;-; and I was feeling conflicted. But it also made me get into the game again after some time.. and thus also this story. I wished I could have gotten this out by christmas but I took too long. I had to start from scratch and I know it's not perfect … But I hope some of you can enjoy this bit anyway. It'll probably take a lot of time before I continue this one but I work on it or at least think about it every day.

I am grateful for every single one of you who enjoys my story. Please excuse any mistakes or bad grammar .. since I really don't know what I am doing.

xxxx

Chapter 3

Ashe forgot how much longer she spent watching the sleeping Assassin laying before her, there was something strangely intriguing about her, and it wasn't just her looks. As if she was trying to see into her mind and find out about all the little secrets she kept to herself, she just stared, counting the times Katarina's chest rose and fell with each breath underneath the blanket, irregular but calm. It provided her with a peace of mind that, after seeing how much these two cared for eachother and the fact that they were Noxians, maybe the negotiations with the man they called Darius, will go much smoother if he was anything like them. Of course, this was just speculation and that very fact removed any confidence she might have just gained. She's heard of Darius' exploits, how he and his Legionaries won battles just by arriving on the fields of war, how the sound of his men marching and the beat of their drums carried on for miles, how he does not hesitate to do what he must, and that they kill without mercy, should anyone dare oppose them and try to put up a fight.

She wondered how this meeting with Darius would actually play out.

''Tell me,'' She asked Katarina's sleeping form, resting her head on her open palm with an exasperated sigh. ''What kind of man is Darius?'' She continued, genuine interest clear in her voice, thinking that any sort of information about him was vital in the upcoming meeting. If He would let them into their camp that is, who says that they won't be greeted by a hail of arrows or a wall of spears?

The thought of it made her shudder.

Noxian weaponry was about as brutal looking as the reputation of Noxus itself. And it left an impression on every soldier and commoner who was unfortunate enough to be at the recieving end of it. Jagged, razor edges and sharp angles. From bow and arrow, to spiked maces. They had just about every kind of weapon to suit any sort of fighting style. Ashe's men and many of the other tribes that have yet to be unified have had experiences with the black steel of Noxus and it showed in the veterans among them. It takes only a single glimpse of those murderous tools to make even the biggest and most fearless of Freljordians tighten their grip on their own steel, for they are in for a fight to the death when black does clash with blue.

She rolled her eyes at the lack of a response.

Her question seemingly, fell on deaf ears. Of course she would not recieve an answer from Katarina while she slept. Even if she was awaken, surely she wouldn't be as easy to convince to give up information about anything like the soldiers they've captured before, even with Braum's imposing form backing her. Her training must include being able to endure the worst in case she ever was captured. Or maybe they were so convinced in her abilities that they left that part out just because they couldn't fathom the idea that she was ever caught. Katarina had a reputation to uphold, if she was to spill anything then gods be damned it would only ever be blood when she is, inevitably killed by whoever managed to capture her. No information out of a high ranking noble is bad enough, but killing her will no doubt be better than nothing and kick Noxus' ego while they are at it. But Ashe and unfortunately for her people aswell, know that despite being a warmother, she doesn't do war well. She is far from a pacifist, but no bloodshed was always the better option to her, a fact, that many of the older generations and veterans of the tribes were highly critical of. The foundation that was now crumbling, was built upon, much like Noxus itself, strength. But it didn't work out for them.

Ashe shifted in her seat, bringing her knees close to her body and wrapping her arms around herself, burying her face. She was bothered by the lack of response from the redhead, mocking herself for leading a one sided conversation as if she was so desperate for any interaction with her, even if it was just for some information.

''Why am I wasting my time talking to you when you can't even answer me?'' She complained as she got back up again, patting at the fabric of her skirt to rid herself of the crinkles ''I'll go get your brother now, I've let him wait long enough'' As she made her way to the door she heard quiet rustling just behind her, she turned around immediately and to her shock she saw Katarina in the middle of buttoning up her shirt, already sitting upright and giving the frost archer a mischievous look with one eyebrow raised.

''Not one to spend the night after you had your fun, huh?'' Katarina laughed, averting her gaze down to her shirt and the task at hand, not looking at the pale Archer, who in turn could only blush terribly.

_Get a grip for Avarosa's sake_ She thought to herself, balling her fists.

''Actually, it is just past noon'' She delivered in a rather deadpan voice, hoping the blush would not give her away while she tried to defuse the odd situation she put herself in.

This got her another laugh from the Assassin as she turned to face Ashe completely, her lower half still buried nicely underneath the blanket. The smile she gifted her was genuine and while it did bring her joy to tease the queen, there was no trace of it on her battered lips.

Ashe gulped at this reaction, the laugh of the redhead making her heart race. She couldn't decide wether she could trust this display of relative normalcy from the Assassin, or if it was just a ruse to make her lower her guard and slit her throat the minute she becomes careless.

_By the gods, that laugh. Why must she have this effect on me_

Katarina made Ashe paranoid and she knew it, her reputation instilling fear and a great deal of respect, keeping Ashe on edge. But her actions contradicted the rumors and gossip going around about the Noxian. Katarina of course, noticed this and let out a little sigh while stretching her arms ''Calm down, I am not gonna try anything'' She told the white haired archer, raising an eyebrow with a smirk on her lips ''I'm unarmed'' She added whilst mockingly raising her arms in surrender.

The elders had informed her about people like her from every nation in Runeterra. Since she was royalty, she had to know about them, how else could she identify them if they got too close? Being a queen also meant being a target. But this woman before her didn't act at all how they said. She was trained in close quarters combat for if she ever found herself in a compromising position with one of these assassins, but her blade was clumsy. She preferred the much more graceful art of archery, much less bloody too. It made killing her foes easier and less personal.

Ashe knew Katarina was toying with her, trying to get a reaction out of her. But she wanted none of it, she may have shown mercy to those who have none, but she isn't going to let this Noxian make a fool out of her. Or so she thought. In an attempt to exert her power over Katarina she decided to pay her antics no mind and focus on her own little mission, which so far, has yielded in the capture of the two Du Couteau siblings. Not a bad catch, right?

''You should rest some more, I'll get your brother'' Ashe tried to leave, already on her way to the door. "We'll be leaving as soon as my men return"

''I thought you wanted to know about Darius'' Katarina called out, managing to stop her.

Ashe closed her eyes in annoyance, pinching the bridge of her nose. Cursing herself and wanting to jump straight into the void if she could.

''I'll give you the answers you seek'' Katarina told her flatly, sounding uninterested as she was raising a hand to her face, inspecting her rather unmaintained and stained nails which made her scrunch up her nose in disgust. It's not like she was overly interested in keeping everything about her prim and proper but the state in which she was in left some things to be desired.

''How long have you been awake?'' She asked without looking at Katarina, bracing herself for the embarrassment to come.

''I just woke up when you asked about Darius'' She answered, giving her arms and legs another quick stretch before scooting over and leaning against the wall next to the fireplace. A huge wave of relief rushing over Ashe, her tense shoulders now also sinking back into a more comfortable position with the knowledge that Katarina did not notice her lewd stare.

She sighed and walked back over to Katarina, standing tall infront of her instead of settling down, trying to instill a sense of authority over the redhead, who just looked at her with a smile on her lips. That did it for the young queen, her heartrate increasing just because of a simple gesture such as a smile. But Ashe's facade didn't falter this time, trying her hardest not to show how much she did have an effect on her. Katarina was still the enemy.  
A couple of seconds passed before Katarina spoke, ''I honestly think you aren't going to get very far talking to Darius, he isn't exactly one to negotiate with'' She stated with a laugh, giving the young queen a look-over. Now that the cold wasn't about to claim her life she was able to put some thought into her offer to the queen. Using herself and her brother to get anything out of Darius was only going to work if he was desperate.''I guess my little Idea is more hoping than anything else, hell .. he might just agree so he can personally cut our heads off and make an example out of our weakness'' Katarina ran a hand through her still somewhat damp hair while she was talking to Ashe, who looked very distraught at what she heard from the Assassin.

Is Noxus really this barbaric towards their own?

She knew of Noxus' brutality. But this seemed just like a bit too much to her. She was happy for everyone who joined her cause and valued every soldier and peasant the same, no matter their origins, gender or status within their respective villages and communities. To hear first hand, from a high in rank noble no less, how Noxians were willing to throw away their own peoples lives was astonishing. But such was the way of life further south. She'd be foolish to assume she could ever hope to understand their brutish neighbors while they had very similar problems to fight right here.

Ashe took another step toward the Redhead and sat down on her knees, not bothering to look her in the eyes ''He wouldn't'' She just said, feeling the need to comfort the assassin and now feeling the intensity of her inner conflicts worsen, having saved Talon and Katarina from execution, just to send them back onto the block at the hands of their countrymen. What was actually worse for a Noxian?

Ashe's gaze wandered back to her face when she heard the Assassin laugh once again. She gave her a confused look, raising an eyebrow ''What's so funny?''

Katarina being wholly consumed by her laughter needed a few seconds before she was able to give the confused Freljordian an answer. "How cute of you to think he wouldn't" She let out a chuckle here and there "Me being of Noble blood will not save me or my brother from Darius' no bullshit policy, he isn't exactly fond of me" Katarina seemed to space out when she said this, turning her attention away from Ashe and to a nearby window.

Ashe was baffled with how uncaring or even amused Katarina sounded over her potentially being murdered back at their camp. She wondered if her brother shared this sentiment.

Ashe's attention shifted once again when she saw a flicker of black in her peripherals right outside the window.

_A bird?_ Ashe figured, not sure why this was so interesting to Katarina.

That's also when She let out a sigh and began to speak, startling the archer some.

"You should be afraid my queen" She said with a slight chuckle, scraping some of the dried blood and dirt from underneath her fingernails with a small knife.

Ashe's eyes grew wide and she fell backwards in shock, crawling away from the Assassin while clumsily reaching for her own short dagger, this being the first time she drew it in the presence of actual danger. "Y-you said you were unarmed!" She stammered, pointing the ornate weapon at the Noxian, to which she didn't even bother to raise her head.

"Oh well, I lied. You weren't as thorough as I expected" She turned to look at the terrified queen. Pushing the blanket that was covering her lower half off and just slightly sliding a single finger underneath the waistband of her underwear at her side. "I take the phrase 'armed to the teeth' quite literal" She snickered at her own joke, leaving the Freljordian trembling with rosy cheeks. "I won't try to fight you, I kind of want to see how this plays out, now" She added with a sly grin, tossing the small knife aside carelessly.

"Now?" Ashe asked but barely finished speaking when Katarina interrupted her again.

"Thats quite a blade you've got there" She added, leaning a little closer. And right she was. The slender and straight blade itself was translucent and of a deep blue shade, looking almost as if it was made of glass, glistening in the fire's flickering light. The hilt, from what she was able to see through the pale digits of the Archer, matched her skin color almost perfectly, some sort of braided white leather gave the whole thing a regal feel, just the right thing for royalty.

_Probably just for ceremonial purposes_ she thought to herself.

Katarina crawled towards her and raised a hand at the weapon. "How much blood did this beautiful blade see?" Raising an eyebrow along her question, eyeing her intensely "No! Don't tell me. I can see it in your eyes that you're a virgin" Ashe was unsure if she was talking to her or the weapon in her hand by the way she was eyeing up the blade.

"Stop! You are impossible!" She yelled, thrusting the blade towards the assassin without actually wanting the hit to connect. "How dare you!"

Katarina was taken aback but raised her hand again, letting her finger caress the sharp edge. Easily, the blade sliced through her skin, immediately drawing blood which ran down the razor's edge. Katarina didn't even flinch, clearly being used to worse than a minor cut like this.

Katarina giggled "I took your first, my queen" She pulled her hand back and examined the droplet of blood running down her finger before putting it right inbetween her lips, cleaning the blood off with her tongue. Making an exaggerated popping sound when it left her mouth again. "Vladimir would kill for a taste of Du Couteau, Hell he might already have for all I know"

"Y-you are absolutely insane" Ashe said with an incredulous expression. Pushing Katarina away, who was at this point almost sitting ontop of her.

Katarina did her best trying to hold back her laughter, a bunch of angry Northerners is the last thing she wants to see bursting through that door. "Oh come on, you are more uptight than high command" She rolled her eyes, scooting away from her.

"I have no interest in whatever games you are playing" She declared, standing up once more.  
"Get dressed while I get you something to eat, I don't need you collapsing in the snow on our way, I won't interfere with the kindred a second time" With that she quickly made her way back to the door and basically fled the scene. To Katarina's dismay, when Ashe left, Talon was not allowed to come inside alone and thus was accompanied by two of Ashe's guards, leaving no privacy for the two of them to scheme.

Talon did not speak, but she could tell he was relieved and he was giving her a knowing glance. The two guards on the other hand looked like they were about to tear his arms out of their sockets.

Instead of a snarky comment she opted for a slight nod of her head while she was busy putting on her clothes which had been laid out to dry. Being watched by the three of them was of no concern to her, in Noxus, shame and the like were regarded as weakness, and there is no place for that here. She thought of it as a sign of power and confidence, toying with those antiquated ideals of decency that were long abolished in the empire, not that there was anything about her that she felt, needed hiding anyway.

"Have you eaten yet?" She asked Talon casually whilst fastening the straps on her boots, sitting down on her makeshift bed to not provoke the two brutes.

They shoved him towards the redhead. He stumbled a bit but regained a straight posture immediately. Seeing him without this ridiculously large cowl of his does take, even for Katarina herself, getting used to. He would usually remain at her father's side when he wasn't out on missions and still keep it on at all times except for when he was sleeping obviously. His close relationship with his adoptive father earned him the reputation of something comparable to a guard dog. Taken off the street to serve under him. He couldn't care less about the thoughts of others and was eternally grateful that Marcus saw the potential in him.

You could even call their relationship stronger than that of Katarina and her father. Despite being his eldest daughter and heiress of the Du Couteau house, it only took one botched mission, which also earned her the trademark scar on her face, for her father to lose his respect for her. She was still doing missions for him and never failed a second time, but nothing would change his attitude toward her. He was strict and unforgiving.

A nod is all she recieved from him in reply.

They spent a while in silence before Ashe returned with a bowl. Talon made way for her and stood next to Katarina with his eyes directed at the floorboards. With every step Ashe took towards the two of them, her guards followed, making sure she was not careless around the two.

"It's hot so be careful" She added while handing her the bowl and spoon. This earned her a grunt of disapproval from her guards.

Katarina gladly accepted the food and begins to dig in. Knowing that these men were displeased with the treatment she's recieving amused her. Talon rolled his eyes and shook his head at his sister's provocation. Ashe turned to face him now and he was actively trying to avoid looking her in the eyes, not because he feared the young queen, no. He would end her just like any other person before if he was told to do so by Marcus. But unlike Katarina, Talon though that further aiding the instability of the Freljord would do them no good in the upcoming campaigns.  
He just didn't feel comfortable with all of these people viewing his face, it was a liability. People knew of the stray Marcus du couteau adopted, but they didn't necessarily knew his face. It gave him some freedom in the way he would go about missions without everyone recognizing his face immediately.

"I hope you are doing well despite these circumstances" Ashe spoke to Talon.

Talon couldn't tell if she was actually concerned or was trying to make fun of him. She must not be very familiar with how Noxians go about their way. Being captured is bad enough, but having his captors ask for his wellbeing whilst being shackled is even worse a feeling. Such petty powerplay seems out of character from what he has heard about the young chieftain of the Avarosans, but not wanting to risk anything, he went with a slight nod of his head.

"A man of few words I see" Ashe returned " Unlike your sister, you seem to be able to grasp the gravity of your situation " She glanced toward the redhead on the ground who was still busy eating and paid their conversation little to no mind.

"That kick to her head must've killed the last two braincells in that thick head of hers" Talon muttered, glaring at Katarina. Not knowing what she did to piss off the queen. Katarina rolled her eyes and set the bowl aside. "Speak for yourself, Talon"

Ashe hesitated and watched the siblings bicker. She couldn't help but smile a little seeing those two fight like little children. It almost reminded her of how she and her sister would play-fight when they were younger.

"Your father will be very displeased Katarina, You know he does not allow failure" Talon threw in to shut her up, which in turn made hed expression darken before she spoke up. "You know he would rather have me be killed in action than return to Noxus"

Her displeasure was obvious even if she tried to hide it. Talon didn't mean to upset her since all he did was speak truthfully, Marcus would be furious wirh her, more than usual. But Talon knows that he must still care for her somewhat and though he wouldn't show it he would be devastated at the loss of her. But instead of trying to explain he just chose to leave it be, Katarina would not be convinced no matter what he says, she's way too stubborn. She's a lot like her father he thought, but he listens to reason where she does not.

"I am sorry to interfere with your family affairs but I am afraid we'll have to cut this short for now" Ashe said from the sidelines, picking up the bit of rope they used to tie her hands with and gesturing for Katarina to raise her hands "I can't have you walk around freely, it would make my men uneasy, I am sure you understand"

Katarina begrudgingly held out her hands, allowing the frost archer to tie her up, unfortunately not in the way she would daydream of in the future. She was giving Talon an angry look whilst Ashe fastened the already tight rope, surely leaving some marks on her wrists. Ashe didn't mean to be so rough but she couldn't help but feel angry aswell, not sure if it was Katarina's teasing or what she's heard of the head of the Du Couteau house. While she wasn't fond of her own father, she still thought of him as family, and she would fight for him anyway, so hearing about his disinterest in the life of his own flesh and blood made her blood boil, which she accidentally let out on said daughter "I hope they are not too tight" She mumbled as she turned away, pointing at the siblings to inform her attentive guards to escort them out, sparing no second glace while stepping outside. Talon followed after as soon as she was out of sight, his guard right on his heels. Katarina recieved a push and grunt from behind her, stumbling a bit and shooting a venomous glare at the man behind her before she started to walk, following after Talon.

When she stepped out the cold winds whipped at her face. Totally not used to the unbelievable cold that reigned the outside, if she could, she would have jumped straight back into the hut to wait for a warmer season, she hated the cold equally as much as Demacia and it showed in the trembling of her hands when she held her jacket closed. She looked around and saw that those northerners were already well on their way packing up again, how long was she out for? She also noticed that some of the men were missing, the Warband that captured her was reduced to a few men here and there.  
She looked over to Talon and wondered if he percieved the cold just as much, if he did, he clearly didn't show it too much. But now that his cowl was gone, she could see the edge of his lips quiver some, he was suppressing it almost expertly, but even he was only human.  
She understood why her father put so much faith in this man, her brother. Despite his skill with a blade and in the art of stealth, he also surpressed any and all emotion that could possibly interfere with him assassinating his target.

Unlike her, his focus was solely on the target and the completion of his mission.

Unlike her, he would do whatever without asking questions.

Unlike her, he was so much like her father.

The only time she saw him differ from the path of becoming an exact replica of her father was when he broke character and pleaded with that big dumb Freljordian to let her live. She wondered that if she was to bring it up to Marcus how Talon acted today, would he shun him like he did with her? It sure would piss him off that his loyal assassin was nothing like him after all. She didn't want him to be like her father, she liked him the way he was, she could depend on him in the toughest of situations, unlike her father who even ordered her own failed assassination. She laid awake at night often, thinking about if Talon would stand against her one day, his mind poisoned by the head of the house, or if he would uphold his oath to protect the members of the Du Couteau name. She never doubted her ability to slay her own kin in case of betrayal, and if she could do it, then so could Talon even if he was not blood related to her. She'd have to talk to Talon about it someday when they were back in Noxus. If they got back.

"Warmother Ashe ordered to prepare for departure, Fridtjof was spotted by our outpost not long ago with the other Noxian scum" A female's voice rang. The siblings turned to see a tall blonde warrior speaking, no less intimidating than the men among them.

_Has she been here from the start? _

Katarina was stunned how every last one of the northerners was as fierce looking as the other. Up here it seems that every man and woman has to fight no matter what. **Of course they do!** She thought, they are up against the largest Empire in all of Valoran. They better put up a good fight.

Her staring was met with the woman spitting at her feet "Keep your disgusting eyes off of me, Noxian" Her words laced with all the anger expected of a Freljord Berserker.

Katarina scoffed and decided not to provoke her, acting as if she didn't care. She'd set her sights on much bigger fish than her. She frowned a little and a slight smirk shone through her facade at her comparing the young queen Ashe to a slippery animal.

She felt herself being pushed back a little when her chest was hit with the accusing finger of the female brute "What do you think is so funny?!" She yelled, spit flying in Katarina's face. But Katarina kept looking at her, not wanting to be the first to back down and even wanting to fight this one "It's funny that you think I'd waste my time with someone like you" She said sharply, her smirk never dying.

The other woman looked like she was fuming, the edges of her mouth pulled down by an uncontrollable rage boiling within her. It didn't take long for the first punch to fly toward Katarina. She saw it from a mile away and was able to dodge it easily by simply dropping onto one knee. The momentum she'd built up sent the assailant stumbling forward, Katarina pushed herself up and out of the way before she collided with the taller woman who was caught by the man who was to guard Katarina.

"Stop it Sigrid" He said while helping her up on her feet again. "Ashe said not to harm them further, obey her orders"

She shook his hands off of her and pushed him away. "I don't care what she says!" He took a step away and raised his hands, looking as if he was trying to calm an animal. "Sejuani would have crushed these fools a long time ago but here we are playing babysitter! For the enemy!" Her yelling caught the attention of the other soldiers around the camp aswell. The mention of the Winters Claw's name also spiked up the tension. Even for someone not familiar with Freljord politics, the name Sejuani does ring a bell. Now there was no doubt that some of these Soldiers once fought for the other side. That would explain the bruteish behaviour that was common under her. They might be the same people, but Avarosans are much more civilised in their ways, or at least less barbaric.

"Yes, that is her way. But don't forget who you pledged allegiance to! Don't forget what you told me when we left her to join Warmother Ashe!" He just said in a much harsher tone than before. All she could do was look at him with disdain. "I broke my oath before, and I can do it again" She hissed and started to walk off, leaving the camp behind. Katarina let out a single laugh, enjoying the busting of that one's ego greatly. The guard who was trying to calm her joined Talon in shaking his head.

She gave Talon a confused look. Has he not heard what they said? They are basically granted immunity by Ashe herself, she can do whatever and say whatever she wants to right? And a little tussle never hurt, At least not her.

"You'll never learn" Talon answered, lowering his gaze in disappointment. Before she could retaliate he stopped her, still not looking. "Just shut up, No more!"

Katarina was taken aback by her Brother's choice of words. Now it was her who was fuming.

_How dare he _she thought.

"Better listen to blue man" The voice of her almost executioner sounded behind her.  
She took a step back from him and arching her head to look up at the giant. "First think, then speak" He laughed, one hand on her guard's shoulder. "Braum will watch over you now so best would be you behave until we are done with negotiations yes?"

"Tch, whatever you say big guy"


End file.
